Heater for giant-powder and other explosives



(No Model.) v T. & A. J. BUNDLE.

HEATER FOR GIANT POWDER AND OTHER EXPLOSIVES. No. 373,609.

Patented Nov. 22, 1887. 1% E911 1 WITNESSES UNITED STATES ATENT Fries.

THOMAS BUNDLE AND ALFRED J. BUNDLE, OF IRON MOUNTAIN, MICHIGAN.

HEATERFCR GIANT-POWDER AND OTHER EXPLOSIVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373,609, dated November 22, 1887.

Application filed February 14, 1887. Serial No. 227.612. I (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern/.-

Be it known that we, THOMAS BUNDLE and ALFRED J. BUNDLE, both of Iron Mountain, in the county of Menominee and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Heaters for Giant-Powder and other Explosives, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention consists in an apparatus or heater, substantially as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims for heating or thawing giant-powder and other explosives usually put up in sticks or packages.

The objects attained by our improved heater are mainly increased convenience, greater economy, and safety, as hereinafter explained.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 represents a vertical section, upon the line was in Fig. 2, of a heater or apparatus for the purpose above named embodying our invention; and- Fig. 2, a vertical section at right angles to Fig. 1 upon the line g/g therein.

The apparatus or heater which constitutes our invention may be built of sheet or cast metal.

A indicates the structure, of rectangular form, constructed to form a water-tank, B, on top, having a slip-cover, O, for safely inclosing it, and fitted with a series of horizontal or approximately-horizontal tubes, D, arranged to pass through the waterspace of the tank and open or accessible at both of their ends for the insertion and removal of the sticks or packages of explosives'within and from them. There may be any number of rows of these tubes, one above the other, and any number of tubes may be used; but each tube must be so placed as to be surrounded by the water in the tank. Below the tank B is a skirt, E, which serves to support the tank and to hold a fire-lamp, F, or other means for heating the water in the tank, and which also serves to inclose the flame or fire and so protect the explosives from possible contact with the flame. Each tube D is of sufficient capacity to hold a stick or package of the explosive.

By this construction of the heater or apparatus each tube D may have a stick, 8, of giant powder, for instance, inserted within it from either end, to be thawed by heating the water win the tank B, and after the sticks have been thawed they maybe removed with like facility from either end of the tubes. There will be no liability of the sticks breaking or sticking in the tubes, which has heretofore been a great source of danger where they have been inserted in upright pockets closed at their one end, inasmuch as, if there is any tendency of the packages of explosives to stick in the tubes, they can be readily pushed through the tubes, and thus the heater kept clear of all remaining powder or explosives. By having both ends of the tubes B open, too, there will be less liability of the powder, sticks, or packages exploding while being thawed out, and the arrangement of the tubes facilitates access to either end of them. Neither need the sticks or packages of explosives be turned end for end to equalize the heating of them, as both ends, lying at the same level, or nearly so, will be heated alike. Again, half, or a portion only, of a stick of giant-powder can be put in any of the tubes, and, after being thawed. removed from either end of the tube with the same facility as a whole stick. The thawing, too, can be effected in much less time and with less expenditure of fuel, and where a series of tubes are used arranged one above the other, and it is only necessary to thaw out a single stick or limited number of sticks, the same may be placed in the lower tube or tubes and only sufficient water he put in the tank to cover such tube or tubes, thus doing away with the heating of a full tank of water and ecouomizing both time and fuel.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a heater for giant-powder and other explosives, the combination, with the opentopped tank having a series of open-ended tubes, of the slip-cover or hood adapted to close the tank and the ends of the tubes, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a heater for giant-powder and other of the heater, substantially as and for the purexplosives, the combination of the elevated pose set forth. open-topped tank having a series of open- THOMAS BUNDLE. ended tubes havlng thelr ends connecting flush with opposite sides of the tank, the slip-cover ALFRED BUNDLE 0r hood adapted to close the tank and the Witnesses:

ends of the tubes, and the skirt supporting H. M. PELHAM,

the tank and constituting the flame-chamber F. J. TRUDELL. 

